Trap.



C. JANKE.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21,1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 19o9j 0. J ANKE.

TRAP.

APPLIoATIoN FILED APR.21,1909.

940,877. Patented Nov. 23, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CZ @71763 7F19 attocmufl Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 23, 1969.

Application filed April 21, 1909. Serial No.7491,214.

I0 all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, @HARLEY JANKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meadow Grove, in the county of Madison and State ofNebraska, have invented cerf tain new and useful Improvements in Traps,

of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to traps, and more particularly to -animal trapssuch as are used for trapping rabbits, squirrels, beavers and othersmall animals.

The object of my invention is to provide a trap of this characterentirely constructed of steel wire.

Another object is to provide new and novel means by which the trap issprung at the proper time for securely holding the animal therein. y

A further object is to provide trigger plates which when the trap is setwill securely retain their adjusted positions at all times except whenan animal of considerable weight steps upon said plate.

A still further object is toprovide suitable means also constructed ofwire to support said trap upon the ground.

l/Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it ,being understood that changes in the specific structureshown and described may be made within the scope of the claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which likenumerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved trap, Fig. 2 is a verticalsection showing the trap set. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 ofFig. 2, Fig. 4 is a top plan view, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thespring actuated bar and the bowed members. Fig. 6 is a detailed view ofthe member, which prevents the lowering of the spring bar.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the oppositely disposed,substantially semi-circular supports which are preferably formed ofsteel wire of suitable weight and thickness and have their ends securedaround the wire 2, a portion-of which is horizontally disposed as at 2and may be termed the base of the trap. This wire is coiled intermediatevof its ends to provide a spring 3 and has its end 4 bent downwardly andextended in horizontal relation to the base portion thereof. The otherend of the wire is bowed as at 5 and is secured to the portion 2adjacent to the spring 3. At the other end of the bowed portion 5, thewire 2 is laterally bent as shown at 6 to provide means for securing`one end of a bowed wire 7, which is disposed in parallel relation tothe bow 5 and has its other end secured to the wire 2 in close proximityto the attached end thereof. The ends of the wire supports 1 are alsosecured to the wire 2 and one of said ends which are located adjacent tothe attached ends of the bowed wires 5 and 7, are hori-l zontallyextended and project between the same as shown at 8, thus providing anadditional means of support. A link 9 connects the bowed wires which areformed with the opposed racks, the purpose of which will be laterdescribed.

Trigger plates 11 are located within the supporting members 1 and areprovided with the short inwardly extendingwires 12 which surround thewire 2 and are formed with the hooked ends 13 which engage the flattenedsurface 4 of the end 4 when the trap is set. The wires 12 are disposedbetween the collars 14 one of which is firmly secured upon the wire 2,the other being held in frictional engagement with wires 12 by a spring15 y surrounding-the wire 2 and held in position thereon by the collar14 and another collar 16 suitably spaced therefrom. By this means thetrigger plates are frictionally sustained at any point between the setand unset positions, thus compensating for any wear upon the parts. Achain 17 may be secured in the coiled portion of the wire 2 and theopposite end secured to a tree stump, thus preventing the trapped animalfrom dragging the trap.

In operation the wires 12 have their ends 13 engaged over the flatportion 4 of the wire 2, thus holding the end 4 in position against thetension of the spring 8. The trap thus set is placed in position and maybe suitably baited if desired, though not essential to the operation ofthe device. The animal in passing beneath the bowed sections of the wirewill tread upon one of the trigger plates which will disengage the end13 of the wire 12 from the spring bar 4.

The bar 4 however, will not be released until released and sprung upwardwith great force by means of the spring 3. rIhe animal will thus besecurely held between the bar 4 and the bowed members 5 and 7. A wire 18is coiled around the end 4 of the wire 2 and has its ends looselysurrounding the bowed wires 5 and 7, which are adapted to engage theracked portions l0 thereof. Should it be desired to trap animals ofconsiderable strength, the racked surfaces of the bowed members willprevent any downward movement of the bar 4, which might be occasioned bythe struggles of the animal. It will be noted that the wire 2 forms thebase rod 2', the spring 3, the oar 4 and the bowed members This forms avery strong and rigid construction and one from which the animal willhave no chance to escape by the breaking of the parts as has heretoforebeen the case. The animal may be readily released by bearing down uponthe protruding end of the member 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a trap which canbe very quickly set, is absolutely positive in its operation and whichis not liable to get out of order. It is moreover verv light and sim tconstructed and instantaneously operated.

- ing a spring member having one of its ends horizontally extended andvertically bowed, a coil formed by said spring member intermediate theends thereof, a second bowed member secured to said spring member anddisposedin parallel relation to the bowed portion thereof, the other endof said spring member being horizontally extended and having its enddownwardly bent, said end being disposed between the bowed members, andtrigger plates secured upon the horizontal portion of said spring memberon either side thereof and adapted to maintain the free end of saidmember in parallel relation thereto, and means for supporting said trapin position.

2. A trap of the character described comprising a spring member havingone of its ends horizontally extended and upwardly bowed, a coil formedintermediate of the ends of said member, a second bowed member securedto said spring member in spaced parallel relation to the bowed portionthereof, a link connecting said bowed members, the other end of saidspring member being horizontally disposed and downwardly bent to form acatch bar, said end projecting between said bowed members, said barhaving a portion of its upper surface flattened, means for retainingsaid bar between said bowed members, supports disposed upon either sideof said bowed members and having their ends projecting between saidbowed members, trigger plates frictionally engaged upon the horizontalportion of said spring member and disposed within said support, hookedends upon said trigger plates adapted to engage the flat portion of thespring bar and retain the same in parallel relation to the horizontalportion of said spring member, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. A trap of the character described comprising a spring member coiledbetween its ends, one of said ends being horizontally and laterallyextended, said lateral extension being formed into an upwardly extendingbowed member having its end secured to the horizontal portion thereof, asecond bow member secured to said spring member, means for holding saidbow members in spaced parallel relation, said bowed members having theiropposed faces provided with teeth, a wire secured to said spring memberhaving its ends secured to said bowed membersand adapted to engage withthe toothed portion thereof, supports disposed from the horizontalportion of said spring member', trigger plates having wires secured totheir opposed ends, said wires frictionally engaged by collars disposedupon said spring member, a c oil spring disposed upon the horizontalportion of said member and adapted to maintain one of said collars inconstant frictional engagement with the wires of said trigger plate,said wires having hooked upper ends, which are adapted to engage withthe horizontally disposed end of said spring member, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

4. A trap of the character described comprising a spring formed of asingle length of steel wire coiled between its ends, the ends of saidwire being disposed in parallel relation, one of said ends forming ineffect a spring bar, wire supporting members secured to said springmembers and projecting at right angles thereto, trigger plates providedwith wire extensions, means for maintaining the trigger plates infrictional engagement upon said spring member, said wire having hookedupper ends engaging with the spring bar of said coiled spring,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a trap, the combination with a LJ-shaped member having a bightportion, a reciprocable member integrally formed with the U-shapedmember, means for forcing the rcciprocable member toward the bightportion, and means for locking said members in engaged position againstthe bight portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

@HARLEY JANKE.

fitnessesz HENRY STOLTENBERG,

R. E. SIMMONS.

